IceHogs News

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- The American Hockey League announced today that the entire 2008 Calder Cup Finals series between the Chicago Wolves and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will now be televised live on NHL Network in the United States and Canada.

To accommodate the live telecasts, the AHL also announced that the start times of Games 3, 4 and 5 in Wilkes-Barre have been moved to 7:35 p.m. ET.

The AHL's 72nd championship series began on Thursday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Wolves are the top affiliate of the National Hockey League's Atlanta Thrashers, and the Penguins are the top affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Veteran play-by-play announcer Pat Foley will be handling the call of the games, with former AHL and NHL forward Bill Gardner providing color commentary and Judd Sirott serving as rinkside reporter.

NHL Network, which is available in more than 80 million homes in Canada and the United States, recently completed a 20-game package of AHL Game of the Week broadcasts during the regular season. NHL Network offers viewers a 24-hour all-access pass to complete hockey coverage both on and off the ice. The network's daily signature show – NHL On The Fly – offers fans exclusive live look-ins to each NHL game, including goals, shootouts, extended highlights, stellar saves, features, interviews, pre- and post-game reports, team press conferences, expert analysis from a variety of hockey insiders and former players, plus special event coverage from the NHL All-Star Game, NHL Stanley Cup Final and NHL Entry Draft. NHL Network is available in Canada and the United States by contacting digital cable or satellite providers.

In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 84 percent of today's NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and this season marks the seventh consecutive year in which more than 6 million fans have attended AHL games across North America.